


Aftermath

by Everyoneisheretoday5



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, F/M, Future Foundation, Hospitalization, Juzo lives, Love Confessions, M/M, Regret, Self-Reflection, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25850389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everyoneisheretoday5/pseuds/Everyoneisheretoday5
Summary: Kyosuke waits at Juzo's bedside, for everything and nothing.
Relationships: Munakata Kyosuke/Sakakura Juzo
Comments: 12
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

Kyosuke has known for years now that he’s cold. 

He has an icy glare like his white hair. He can feel the weight settle on his face, where his eyebrows meet and at the corners of his mouth as he fixes his appearance to try and convince himself that he’s more intimidating than the world around him. The sharpness of his blade almost reflects his anger, cool and dangerous, and then somewhat graceful as he carries out what he needs to do, moving across the room, light shining off the hilt. 

When he was back in high school he knew he was looser. Although he still held a sense of aloofness, he laughed, and smiled, and joked around sometimes with Chisa, playing the occasional prank on Juzo just to piss him off for a moment- and then see him shrug it off and laugh. 

Thinking back on it, high school was probably the best years of his life. He can’t really remember when he’s had more of a sense of companionship and overall happiness. Sure, school in itself was stressful, but Chisa and Juzo were really what made it amazing. Chisa with her constant sunshine-and-rainbows personality, and Juzo with his gentle gruffness. 

And then the Tragedy happened, and they all changed... 

Kyosuke of course became what he is now- closed off, freezing. 

Chisa’s energy toned down quite a bit- it got put into defending herself, and now she knew martial arts, and could probably break your spine with one kick. And there was an edge of malice underneath her seemingly kind and hopeful words- it made the hair on Kyosuke’s neck stand up. He… wasn’t sure how her company really was anymore. He knew she had been interested in him for a long time… and he never objected to it, so she stuck around. What was he supposed to make of that? 

And Juzo… well, around Kyosuke, he remained largely the same, if not a bit more tired and self-deprecating. Kyosuke complimented him a week ago, and he said it was “out of character for him.” 

He’d wanted to give a thousand other compliments and such over the years- it wasn’t out of character, he just failed to express it. Because of what? He didn’t know. Guess he couldn’t give off a soft exterior. 

But that had been a useless attempt because well…

Kyosuke was currently sitting by Juzo’s bedside. In the future foundation’s hospital. With dried tear tracks on his face. 

Okay,  _ now  _ they weren’t dry. He lost his composure again. 

“Juzo… I’m so sorry…” he whispered as he gripped the handles on the side of his bed. Juzo was currently unconscious, machines hooked up to him and beeping signs that he was still alive. Covered in bandages… because of  _ him.  _

Not even two hours ago, he had been standing over him and delusional, fully convinced that Juzo was the traitor. 

Full of rage, without concern for anyone’s safety, he swung his sword out and prepared to kill Juzo, years of friendship and caring gone without a trace in the heat of the moment. And Juzo had looked so...  _ Ready.  _ Completely compliant. He wasn’t even trying to fight back. He just laid there while Kyosuke brought the tip of his blade ever closer to Juzo’s chest. 

“I can’t believe you…” he hissed, glaring deep into Juzo’s red eyes. 

“Kyo… I got something I need to get off my chest…” Juzo had whispered, voice raspy. 

“I don’t want to hear it, your secrets are nothing to me anymore. I’m going to kill you, in the name of hope, and that’ll be the end of it,” he had growled. “The world is going to be  _ safe  _ from  _ you  _ and you won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore with your pitiful lies.” 

“I love-” 

Kyosuke ignored him and swung his sword across Juzo’s chest just as he uttered the last of the phrase, ripping into his skin. 

“You…” 

And then as Kyosuke remembers it, time… stopped. And then reality came crashing back in, with his dying best friend who was in love with him bleeding on the ground, blood on Kyosuke’s sword, no real evidence for the traitor to be found. 

“I- JUZO!!” 

He had dropped his sword and fell to the ground alongside it, knees deep in the dirt as he cradled Juzo’s face in his hands, tears rushing down his face and his carefully constructed facade burnt to the ground over a few words and spilled blood. 

“Juzo, no no no no no-” he cried out, voice breaking. “You can’t die on me, I’m so sorry, I should have never even- I’m so, so sorry, please stay with me-” 

Without waiting for a response from his incapacitated friend, he used the last of his adrenaline and picked Juzo up, staggering to his feet and running as fast as he could in the direction of the Future Foundation building, Juzo’s wet blood staining his suit. 

And now, here he was. 

He wiped his eyes and stared down at Juzo’s sleeping face, strangely unbeaten unlike the rest of him. Tanned skin, stress lines, dark green hair falling in his face. Kyosuke reached to push it out of the way and then recoiled, the image of him slashing Juzo’s chest open still fresh in his mind. 

If he could almost murder his best friend, then he couldn’t trust his own hands not to hurt him. 

“Juzo… whatever you do, don’t forgive me,” he whispered, looking down at his own stained sleeves. “I know you might be compelled to… but it’s not worth it. I’ll just hurt you again, somehow, in some way, even if I didn’t mean to. I never deserved your love, or your devotion, or anything you had to offer.” 

Juzo stirred for a second in his sleep, and a rush of fear shot through Kyosuke. He leaned back from where he was hunched over his bedside and sighed.  _ I can’t decide whether it’d be better for him to have me here or not...if he says to go, I’ll go.  _

_ But I have to make sure he doesn’t die in the meantime.  _

He knew it was silly, the Future Foundation had the best doctors and nurses and equipment as you could have in the midst of an apocalypse, but… just in case. Anything could happen at this point. And it was the least he could do after almost killing him. 

“God, I really thought I was all high and mighty huh…” he murmured. “Pushing other people away, not bothering to give you any sort of affection even though I-” he pushed the thought out of his head. Even if he did harbor...feelings towards Juzo at one point or another, maybe this entire time, it was too late to consider expressing them. 

“...wish I could do something to repay you or make up for it but- I’d be working my entire life and then some, but that’s okay because I’m going to do it anyway. Unless you don’t want me to. I want to put your feelings first for once.” 

Why was he even speaking all these important words if Juzo likely couldn’t even hear him? 

A nurse knocked at the door and Kyosuke nearly fell out of his seat.

“Mr. Munakata?... “ 

The nurse opened the door and came in without waiting for his response, holding a clipboard. “Are you planning on staying by Mr. Sakakura’s bedside overnight?” 

Kyosuke nodded. “Unless he wakes up and wants me to go. I was the one who...caused this after all, so I’d imagine he wouldn’t want the guy who almost killed him in his hospital room for too long.” 

The nurse’s eyes widened for a second, and then he went back to his somewhat cheerful but serious disposition. People almost killing each other was more normal for the future foundation than it should be. 

“Very well then. You seem to care about him for the meantime, so I’m going to fetch you an extra pillow and a blanket. Don’t disturb the patient.” 

  
  
  


Kyosuke nodded and continued to watch the machines around Juzo’s bedside. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this is the happy ending! You just gotta read until the end. :)

Kyosuke Munakata pulled the thin blanket closer around him, sleep threatening to overtake his body. His eyes were open as he stared into the dark, the only light coming from the various machines in front of him, beeping and whirring away productively. Juzo still seemed to be fast asleep as Kyosuke was stretched awkwardly across two chairs, a pillow at his head. 

He was glad it wasn’t quiet. If Juzo’s gentle breathing stopped, or the machines became silent, he had no doubt he’d get up in a millisecond and run to the nearest nurse, or try to keep Juzo alive himself while help came. He didn’t want to sleep for that purpose, so he sat up and rubbed his eyes, crossing one leg over the other and staring into space. Guilt still trickled in the back of his mind, and he doubted it would ever stop. 

A gentle snuff came from Juzo, and Kyosuke sat up straight, eyes and ears straining to make sure he was okay without disturbing him. When he moved, Kyosuke flinched and became nervous, although his mind screamed in relief that Juzo seemed to be recovering. 

“K-Kyo?...” came a quiet, and extremely raspy voice. 

_ He hasn’t used that nickname since highschool. _

“Shhh, don’t worry, I’m here.” Kyosuke said automatically, trying to make his voice as comforting as he could. He wasn’t quite used to it. 

_ How fucked up is his memory to still want my presence? And he’s awake… or is he talking in his sleep? _

“K-Ky…” 

Kyosuke saw Juzo’s remaining hand move in the dark, reaching weakly for something, or someone, on the left side of him. Kyosuke got up, and quietly moved across the room, carefully squeezing himself in between the wall and Juzo’s hospital bed. 

“It’s okay, Juzo,” he said as he gently rested his hand on top of his, screaming at himself not to hurt him. It was kinda strange how different the two of them were. Juzo had thick, strong fingers and his hand was covered with callouses and healed wounds from years of boxing and fighting. Kyosuke’s seemed like a baby’s compared to his, it being somewhat smaller, and much less beat up. He was so pale, he seemed like a ghost. 

A small shock of surprise went through Kyosuke as Juzo brushed his hand with his thumb shakily, and seemed to try and hold onto him, although it was quite a weak attempt. Kyosuke moved his hand ever so slightly in order to support Juzo’s thumb with his own, hoping it would give him a little bit of peace. 

_ How can he still… why am I the person he wants? He might be off in some kind of delirious painkiller dream right now but… if I were him, I’d never want to see me again, much less have any kind of physical contact with the person who hurt me.  _

_ Maybe he blocked out the incident due to it being so traumatic. Even if he did, he should still have a fear of me. I don’t… want him to be afraid of me, but logically, that’s exactly the kind of reaction he should have.  _

Kyosuke heard a rustle come from Juzo’s direction again, and saw his head turn to the side, hair flopping in his face. His eyes slowly opened, and saw Kyosuke. Kyosuke flinched again, fear of himself and of Juzo’s reaction to seeing him, thinking that if he saw him, he’d recoil and pull his hand away, either angry or just scared. 

But… instead he saw Kyosuke, and the corners of his mouth tugged up ever so slightly, and he closed his eyes and went to sleep again. That’s all there was.

Kyosuke stared down at his sleeping friend in shock. Words and phrases flew around inside his head, and soon enough tears were streaming down his face again, nose stuffed up and hands shaking. 

_ I could never deserve this man.  _

  
  
  


“Mr. Munakata, I suggest you get off the floor.” 

“..Ugh…”

Kyosuke opened his eyes slowly, back aching and the lights too bright for his taste. He was greeted with cold tile, and he rose up to his feet carefully, stretching his limbs subtly. The male nurse who had been the one to give him the blanket and pillow that had been abandoned on the other side of the room was at the end of Juzo’s hospital bed and stared at him with his arms crossed, frowning. 

“Y’know, those bedding supplies were intended to be used.” he said, a hint of annoyance in his tone. 

Kyosuke nodded blearily, still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “I know… I’m sorry for abandoning them. I ended up over here in the night, and forgot completely about them.” 

The nurse huffed, and then left the room. 

Kyosuke stayed where he was, but then turned his head to see a fully-awake Juzo, back propped up with pillows, and looking at Kyosuke. He looked tired, bags under his eyes, but… for some reason he was smiling. 

“You’re actually here… not a hallucination like I thought you were. Was that you in the middle of the night?...” 

Kyosuke accidentally rammed the back of his head into the wall out of pure surprise and grimaced. A low chuckle came from Juzo. 

“You alright there, buddy?” 

Kyosuke searched for words, only coming out with two, stammering. “Y-you’re awake…” 

“Hell yeah I am. I don’t stay down and out for long, y’know,” he said, waving his hand around himself. “It’ll take a lot more than you ripping my chest open to get me out of commission.” 

Kyosuke fell silent.  _ So he remembers… Why is he being so casual about it? I should just go…  _

“I-I’m glad…” he said, while scooting himself out of the narrow place he was in, and walking near the exit. “I’m going to leave you alone now-” 

“Wait!” Juzo barked, and then tried to soften his voice. “Stay?...” 

Kyosuke turned around, confused and anxious. “Why?.. I’m the reason you’re in the hospital in the first place.” 

“And yet,” Juzo countered, “You’re the reason I’m alive. And you wouldn’t have carried me all the way to the hospital, and stayed the night if you didn’t care about me to some extent. So stay?” 

“I-I…” Kyosuke stammered, and then got a hold of his voice. “Okay.” 

He sat down in one of the chairs he was supposed to sleep on, and gathered up the blanket into his lap, fidgeting with it, while avoiding Juzo’s gaze. “I know this doesn’t make up for anything… but I’m really sorry...I’d like to take responsibility for my actions.” 

Juzo started wheezing, loud and big, while Kyosuke sat there, eyes wide and confused. “HAHAHAHA- ha… ow. Dude I know- that guilty-ass look on your face tells me everything- god, you’re so easy to read sometimes. And you’re kind of a dumbass too- I heard from that nurse they’re making you pay all the hospital bills. Not taking responsibility for your actions would mean I would be stone-cold dead right now, and you’d be in your office, denying everything. Instead you’re here, and I’m here, and you’re sitting in that chair because I wanted you to stay with me. I mean sure, that doesn’t make up for your actions and whatnot, but it’s a start.” 

Kyosuke remained quiet while Juzo stared at him. 

“...Were you actually the one who held my hand last night, or did I dream it?”

“Yeah I did…” Kyosuke replied quietly, still not making eye contact. “You seemed to be reaching out for me and whatnot, so... Yeah. And then I fell asleep, which is why I was on a heap on the floor on the other side of your bed.” 

“Pffft-” Juzo chuckled. “Well… I’m glad. I’m still in love with you even after you landed me in the hospital, so it was a comfort of sorts.” 

“ _ Oh,”  _ Kyosuke murmured, feeling his face grow red. “I- well uh… fuck.” 

“What? Now isn’t the best time?” 

“No, I just-” he stammered. “I- you’re too good for me Juzo. I’ve been ignoring my feelings ever since the tragedy and well-  _ this,  _ so I kinda don’t deserve you. You should go find some other guy who… won’t slash your chest open because he was stupid and believed a rumor.” 

“Well that’s a surprise,” Juzo replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. “So you’re not in love with Chisa?”

“Who said I was in love with Chisa?” 

“Chisa.” 

“Makes sense.” 

Both were silent for a couple of moments before Juzo spoke up again. 

“Hey… so I’ve had feelings for you since high school, and yeah, shit’s happened, but I’d still like to make it work. We could try restarting.”

Kyosuke looked up from where he was absentmindedly pulling threads out of the blanket, and met Juzo’s gaze. “If...If that’s truly what you want, Juzo, then I’m okay with it.” 

“Well then, if that’s settled…” Juzo said, trailing off, “Will you be my boyfriend, Kyosuke Munakata?” 

“Yes. Yes I will. I would be honored.” 


End file.
